Methane leakage has been identified as one of the major complicating factors in embracing natural gas as a “bridge fuel.” There’s tremendous uncertainty about exactly how extensive the problem is, but that doesn’t mean the industry can just wish it away. That was a topic of discussion at the World Gas Conference in Paris on… Keep reading →
Natural gas can deliver substantial carbon emissions reductions when displacing coal, and the United States has taken good advantage of it in the past several years. But the U.S. experience might be “one moment in time and space,” says Stockholm Environment Institute senior scientist Michael Lazarus, lead author of a new paper [PDF] on gas and… Keep reading →
Scientists using satellite data discovered a major source of methane emissions in the Four Corners region of the US Southwest that comprises Arizona, Utah, New Mexico and Colorado. The methane appears to be coming from coal-bed methane mining operations. “The hotspot, which predates the current hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, boom in the region, is over… Keep reading →
Sweden burns about as much household waste as it recycles – 2 million tons – and generates energy from the garbage. The country’s waste to energy incinerators have spare capacity, causing them to occasionally import trash from other nations. [Video: Swedish Government] Environmental group EDF is teaming up with 7 oil and gas companies to… Keep reading →
Having read the U.S. National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) report, “Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Perspective on Exporting Liquefied Natural Gas from the United States,” published on May 29, 2014, we are puzzled by the skewed conclusions reached by the Washington Post: “That U.S. exports of LNG to China could end up being worse from a… Keep reading →
America is in the midst of two booms: one in sensor technology and another in natural gas. Recent innovations—specifically advancements in drilling and hydraulic fracturing technologies—have dramatically increased the nation’s access to reserves of natural gas. While this influx of new technology has altered the energy industry, the resulting large-scale development has brought with it… Keep reading →
A new study using flyover methodology found methane emissions from oil and gas development activity in Colorado’s Front Range exceed estimates by regulators. “These discrepancies are substantial,” said lead author Gabrielle Petron, an atmospheric scientist with NOAA’s Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder. “Emission estimates or ‘inventories’ are… Keep reading →
More and more research studies deepen our understanding of methane emissions from various segments along the natural gas supply chain. At the same time, evidence is mounting that the volume of methane emissions leaking from, for example, wellheads or processing plants may collectively account for a greater portion of total methane emissions than previously thought.… Keep reading →
Recently, the White House took a crucial stride to tackle methane pollution and natural gas waste. A key aspect of the strategy tasks the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with enacting policy to reduce emissions from the oil and gas industry. Yesterday, EPA formally initiated its process, issuing five white papers focused on the biggest opportunities to cut the industry’s… Keep reading →
You see something once, and it might just be an anomaly. See it twice, maybe coincidence. But when you see it a third time – that’s a pattern. A trend. With Ohio’s move last week to control “fugitive” emissions from oil and gas operations, that’s what we’re seeing – a rapid trend from leading states to control… Keep reading →
